Author: ballyduff

Dear Friends,

I want to begin by sharing some important decisions made by the Session of the newly amalgamated church called St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls.

Firstly, we, as a Session, call for a congregational meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 30th, 2023. The item on the agenda for this congregational gathering is to deal with St. Andrew’s Session’s recommendation regarding “the confirmation of funds provided to the Glenarm Cemetery.” Under the leadership of Mark Mitchell, Clerk of the Session, the discussion and decision about this will take place at the congregational assembly right after the service.

Secondly, we are delighted to announce that Sharon Dawson (the former Glenarm church elder) will be appointed as an active elder. We will be celebrating this appointment, along with the reaffirmation of the following existing elders: Lloyd McIntyre, Stan Wray, Mark Mitchell, Dan Schley, Barb Silver, and Faye Nicholson, during a special hybrid worship service on April 30th.

Please mark the April 30th congregational meeting and special worship service on your calendar and participate in this assembly either in person or via Zoom. Your presence at the congregational gathering would be much appreciated. Your support and prayers for our church elders would also be greatly appreciated.

Once again, we, as the St. Andrew’s Session of the merged church between Knox Glenarm and St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls, have recently reaffirmed the Inclusive Statement below. It was prayerfully developed by the former St. Andrew’s Session and formally adopted by the former St. Andrew’s congregation in 2018 and 2019.

“St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fenelon Falls is a member of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. At. St. Andrew’s we believe that we are all one in Christ, regardless of age, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, and physical or mental ability. We welcome into our church everyone who seeks to love God and participate in an open and supportive congregation that is grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The journey of Christian faith is ongoing and we pray for God’s guidance as we listen to and learn from one another.”

While keeping this affirmation, as Christ’s church and Heavenly Kingdom coworkers working towards our God-given mission, we can create a more genuinely loving and caring fellowship together.

With these announcements, I warmly invite you and your loved ones to our hybrid worship service as we launch the second sermon series of this year titled “40 Days of Love.” God is love. Love is one of His main characteristics that we, as God’s children, need to learn and practice in our faith journey. The service will take place on Sunday, April 16th, 2023, at 10:00 am at St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls. As the word for “Hybrid” indicates, the service will also be broadcast live via Zoom. You can find the Zoom link below, which will open at 9:45 am with the announcement slides.

Upcoming Events & Services:
Spring Bible Study “40 Days of Love – Session 5” on Wednesday, April 19th, at 10:00 am via Zoom only
Congregational meeting and Coffee & Fellowship following the worship service on April 30th

Finally, I remind you of the greatest commandment, as taught by Jesus in Matthew 22:36-39: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Blessings

Caleb

Dear Friends,

I am thrilled to invite you and your loved ones to our Hybrid Easter Sunday worship service as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The service will take place on Sunday, April 9th, 2023, at 10:00 am at St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls. For those who cannot attend in person, we will also broadcast the service live via Zoom. You can find the Zoom link below, which will open at 9:45 am with the announcement slides.

We have a special program planned for our worship gathering that will include Easter stories for the young and the young at heart as we rejoice in the hope of everlasting life. We will enjoy listening to the special music “The Lord of the Dance” by Barbra Dunn-Possessor, recorded in 2021. Moreover, we will lift our voices in thanksgiving to God for the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Upcoming Events & Services:
Spring Bible Study “40 Days of Love” – Session 4 on Wednesdays, April 12, at 10:00 am via Zoom only
Coffee & Fellowship following the worship service on April 30th

I hope to see you and your family at our Easter service as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Let us remember the words of the angel who said to the women:
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay” (Matthew 28:5-6).

Blessings,

Caleb

Dear Friends,

Good Friday is one of the essential celebrations in Christianity. The Lord, our Christ, died on that day and made a total sacrifice for the salvation of all of us. This divine venue has led us to celebrate Christ’s victory in resurrection over the influence of death and sin on Easter Sunday.

In our hybrid divine assembly, we will have the readings from the Gospel of Matthew related to the accusation, crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus. We will sing sacred hymns and have the time of reflection of Christ’s love on the cross in silence and unison prayers.

We will have unique videos listed below:

“He Looked Beyond My Fault” by the Joint Choir of Knox Glenarm & St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls. This memorable anthem was directed by our retired organist Jane Veale, and the film was recorded at the 2009 Maundy Thursday service at Knox Glenarm.
“The Foot-Washing Ceremony & Beneath the Cross of Jesus.” You will see the late Jim Nesbitt washing the feet of his late wife June in the demonstration of our Christ’s humble servanthood. This venue was also held at the Maundy Thursday service. During that time, the joint choir also sang the song above.
“And the Crowd Cried Out” was sung by Barbara Dunn-Prosser and was filmed by her husband, David, in 2021.

On behalf of the Leadership Team, I express our thanks for all the preparations for the holy service to all the participants in the sanctuary, via Zoom, in the videos, and even behind the scenes.

With this introduction, I invite you and your family to join us for a hybrid service at St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls on Good Friday Service, April 7, 2023, at 10:00 am.

This divine assembly will also be broadcasted live. The Zoom link below will open at 9:45 am with the announcement slides.

“Above his head, they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews” (Matthew 27:35).

Blessings,

Caleb

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to announce that spring is finally here! Nature watchers in my area have reported that more birds are welcoming the new season. Take a moment to observe the forests or backyards and see if some migrant birds have arrived from the south.

With this warm greeting, I invite you and your family to join us for a hybrid service at St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls on Palm or Passion Sunday, April 2, 2023, at 10:00 am.

We will be concluding our sermon series “Rebuilding our Broken Walls and Others” from the Book of Nehemiah. This study is one of the longest I have shared with you, and through the last part of the study, we will learn how God’s guidance fully completes Nehemiah’s temple recovery project. The final reformation lesson preached from the pulpit this Sunday can help us continue adventuring on our ongoing renewal faith journey with courage and confidence. We will also have a short lesson for both kids and those young at heart.

This divine assembly will also be broadcasted live. The Zoom link below will open at 9:45 am. Before the service, the announcement slides will be presented to the congregation at the sanctuary and on Zoom.

Please note that the Glenarm Church website will be closing as of May 1, 2023, and Glenarm’s historical content online will be kept through the Web Archiving Program of the PCC. More information about the archived items’ website info will be shared later.

Upcoming Events & Services:
Wednesdays, April 5 – Spring Bible Study “40 Days of Love” – Session 3 – at 10:00 am via Zoom only
Good Friday Service – Friday, April 7 at 10:00 am
Easter Service – Sunday, April 12 at 10:00 am
Coffee & Fellowship following the worship service April 30th

“… Remember me with favor, my God” (Nehemiah 13:31).

Blessings,

Caleb

Dear Friends,

With a warm welcome, I invite you and your family to join us for a hybrid worship service at St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at 10:00 am. Rev. Jonathan Baird will be our guest speaker this Sunday. We will be encouraged and uplifted by the Word of God he brings us. This divine assembly will also be broadcasted live. The Zoom link below will open at 9:45 am. Before the service, the announcement slides will be presented to the congregation at the sanctuary and on Zoom.

Upcoming Events & Services:
1)Spring Bible Study “40 Days of Love”
Wednesday, March 29, at 10:00 am via Zoom only
Session Two: Love is Patient, Love is Kind
Everyone is welcome to join us for bible study and prayer time!
(Zoom Meeting ID and Passcode for this study are the same as the ones for Sunday services.)
2)Good Friday Service – Friday, April 7 at 10:00 am
3)Easter Service – Sunday, April 12 at 10:00 am

Blessings,

Caleb

Dear Friends,

I want to begin with two brief reminders.

Firstly, please get in touch with one of the elders if you are interested in learning more about the church membership of St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls.

Secondly, our spring hybrid Bible study, “40 Days of Love,” will begin this Wednesday. The second sermon series of this year, based on that study topic, will also launch on the following Easter Sunday.

Note: A hard copy of each session’s participant guide will be available at the church table at the back of the sanctuary. Its electronic copy will be provided for the participants if requested in advance. The Zoom meeting ID and passcode are the same as those for Sunday worship services.

Please continue to pray about those items above.

With these notes, I invite you and your family to join us for a hybrid service at St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent, March 19, 2023, at 10:00 am. We will continue studying the series “Rebuilding our Broken Walls and Others” from the Book of Nehemiah. This worship service will also be broadcasted live. The Zoom link below will open at 9:45 am. Before the service, the announcement slides will be presented to the congregation at the sanctuary and on Zoom.

Upcoming Events & Services:

Spring Bible Study “40 Days of Love” of Session I “Love Matters Most” – Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Guest Speaker – Rev. Jonathan Baird – Sunday, March 26, 2023

Good Friday Service – Friday, April 7, 2023

Easter Service – Sunday, April 12, 2023

Note: All the meetings/gatherings start at 10:00 am and take place at St. Andrew’s FF and via Zoom.

“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres” (Nehemiah 12:27).

Blessings,

Caleb